Summary: Jesse is nearly killed in car accident and his life hangs by a thread. Xander then meets a stranger who offers a deal to save Jesse. But this is just the beginning

Pairings: none so far

Disclaimers: Charmed belongs to Contance M. Burge, Angel and Buffy belongs to Joss Wheldon, and Ghost Rider belongs to Marvel. I own nothing.

The Deal

Sunnydale August 1996Sunnydale General Hospital

Xander sat at the side of the bed of his best friend. He could not believe that the swollen and bloody boy lying in the bed was his brother in every way but blood. Bruises covered his face and upper arms, both his forearms and his left leg were in casts to hold broken bones together. The only noise in the room came from the machines that were the only thing keeping him alive; haunting Xander knowing that the heart monitor that told him his friend was still alive would at any moment make that interminable beep that would tell him his brother was gone.

It was just too much for him to lose Jesse McNally. He didn’t want to run out the room in tears like Willow did, but he didn’t want to see him die either.

It all happened two days ago. Him, Jesse and Willow were on their way to the Bronze to hang out and for Jesse to try winning the heart of Cordelia Chase with a bracelet he had bought for her. Both Xander and Willow had told him that he was just wasting his time and money because Cordelia was the most popular girl in school. And she had proven time and time again that she would never give Jesse the time of day.

They saw Cordelia walking to the Bronze with her sheep, the Cordettes, faithfully following her. Jesse decided to give her the bracelet. But out of nowhere a drunk driver ran a red light as Jesse was crossing the street.

The entire moment was almost like a scene from an action movie, but instead of a stunt man it was his best friend flying through the air.

Xander came back to the present when he heard the nurse call him.

“Sir?” she called, “I’m sorry but visiting hours are over.”

Xander looked one last time at his friend and walked out with a cloud of sadness over his head.

He walked down the dark streets of Sunnydale looking down at the sidewalk as he made his way to his favorite place where Willow, Jesse and him went to after school. Willow and Jesse just went there to have fun after school, but for Xander it was a sanctuary from his home life.

Xander finally made it to the old warehouse where they made his home away from home. He walked in the old building walked straight to the back walk wall where they had carved their initials and ran his fingers gently across the surface remembering the good times of his friendship.

Outside an old man walked down the middle of the street his cane taping the pavement and echoing threw the deserted streets. The monsters and the demons hid away from what looked like a normal man, but this normal man was resonating of evil. As walked street the lights above would burn out and explode when he walked by them.

The man stopped and turned to a cardboard cut out of The Devil in front of a dinner advertising their new 5 Alarm Burger.

“Heh,” he silently laughed, “Far out.”

Back at the warehouse Xander sat alone with his legs pulled up to his chest trying not to think what he would do if Jesse didn’t pull through. He couldn’t bear think of a life without his two best buds in the world. Jesse just had to live he just had to.

“Alexander Harris,” a voice from the entrance called out.

Xander looked up at the origin of the voice. In the doorway was a man in his fifties wearing a black on black suit, holding a cane capped with a silver skull and he had his balding brown hair combed back. But what got Xander were his eyes, they were unlike any he had every seen in his life. Xander felt a chill go up his spine for looking into them for so long.

“Do I know you?” Xander asked hoping the guy was just a distant relative he never knew of.

“No, but I do know you,” The old man said, “I know about how you like to come here to clear your head. How you see your Uncle Rory as more of a father then your real one. And how you see both Jesse McNally and Willow Rosenberg as the siblings you never had. I also saw the accident. I saw how your friend got careless and is now struggling to live.”

“How do you know about that?” Xander said trying to swallow the lump of fear in his throat.

“Let’s just say I was in the area.” The stranger said with cold smirk on his lips, “Even a blind man can see he has no chance to pull through.”

Xander looked down to the floor his fear replaced with despair. He was so afraid to admit it, but the stranger was right, it was only a matter of time till Jesse succumbs to his injuries. He just felt so powerless.

“What if I could help your friend?” the stranger said.

“How?” Xander asked in disbelief.

“How is not important?” he said, “What if I could make him better? Give him back his health? Would you be willing to make a deal?”

Xander turned around to face the man. He didn’t care about the money or whatever he had to give as long as Jesse lived no price was too high. Xander turned to the stranger and squared his shoulders with determination.

“Name your price.”

“Oh, I’ll take….” The man said looking beginning to look around the meager possessions of the warehouse, then settled his eyes on Xander, “Your soul.”

“Ooookay,” Xander said, “How bout I throw in a virgin and some goats’ blood while you’re at it.”

Xander began to walk out the warehouse unable to believe he would trust this nut job to save his friend’s life.

“By sunrise tomorrow your friend will be as healthy as a horse and you will be spared the pain of watching a friend die a slow agonizing death.”

This stopped the boy in his tracks.

“It’s your choice Alexander, all you have to do is sign.”

Xander turned and saw the dark stranger now held a rolled up parchment. Hoping he was doing the right thing, Xander went and took the parchment from his hand and unrolled it so he could read the supposed contract for his soul. As he began to read it over he slit his finger at the top of the contract’s brass rod. Xander hissed in pain and pulled back his hand but not before a drop of his blood landed on the bottom line of the document.

“Oh, that will do just fine,” the stranger said as he took the contract from Xander. Smiling at the boy, the teen swore he saw the man’s eyes glow like red-hot coals.

It was only a moment because Xander suddenly sat up in his bed. He looked around wondering if everything that happened last night was all a dream.

“Hey,” he heard his mother yell, “You can’t come running into someone’s house like that.”

The Harris boy heard footsteps running towards the door of his room. The door burst open showing a very happy Willow Rosenberg.

“Xander get dressed we have to go to the hospital Jesse’s all better. It’s a miracle, he’s got no broken bones, no bruises, even his spine and lungs are all better now. Why are you still in bed, come on get dressed we have to go see him. Now mister!”

Xander couldn’t believe his ears Jesse okay, he was okay, and he was going to live.

Arriving at the hospital the two friends went to the room that they had believed to be the last place their friend would live. Both Willow and Xander barged into the room and looked in utter astonishment at the teen that was at near death just yesterday was now sitting on the bed without a scratch on him. Willow ran passed the stunned teen and hugged proceeded to hug her friend to death.

“Willow….can’t…..breathe….” Jesse gasped.

“Oh sorry,” the red head said wiping away the tears of joy, “I’m just so happy, we thought we lost you.”

“Hey Xan,” Jesse said to the stunned teen, “Are you going to stand there all day dude.”

“Sorry I just can’t believe you’re okay.”

“Yeah, the docs have been trying to figure how I was able to pull through.”

“And also how he got so healthy in such a short amount of time,” the doctor came in holding a clip board, “We ran every test on his body and we came up with nothing. He is as healthy as a ….horse.”

Xander looked at the doctor as he said that. Was last night real? Had he really sold his soul to the stranger? Right now he didn’t care as long as Jesse was alive, he didn’t care.

Two Weeks Later

Xander sat in the same spot he was that night. Inside the old warehouse, right next to the initials of he and his friends had made. Only now he held a wooden stake in his hand, the same stake he used to kill his best friend.

After surviving an accident that should have killed him, Jesse was captured a vampire and turned.

Two weeks ago he didn’t even know that they existed. It wasn’t until Buffy the Vampire Slayer came to town and the ugly truth of what really happened at night was revealed. Monsters were real and they had captured, killed and turned his brother.

All he had given up was for nothing.

“Hurts, doesn’t it?” the voice that has haunted his dreams for two weeks became a reality.

Xander stood up and faced the stranger one more time. His fear was replaced with anger.

“You,” he said pointing his hand at the man, “You were behind this. You’re the reason why Jesse was picked over all those jocks, why he was turned.

“Why did you do this? I thought we had a deal?”

“I healed his injuries and spared him a slow agonizing death. That was our deal.” the stranger told him with a malicious smile, “I gave him a quick and painless death and I let you kill the demon who had taken over his body. Besides I couldn’t have him coming between us.”

“You bastard!” Xander cried out as he swung the stake at the stranger only to have it pass through thin air, like he was never there.

“Do you really think you can kill me?” The stranger asked Xander, who was now standing behind him.

“No,” Xander said the fear returning, “But I know someone who can.”

”The slayer,” The man said nonchalantly, “Believe me boy I’m more than anything the slayer has or will ever face. I could kill her as easily as snapping my fingers. But I’m not interested in her, only you.” he told him as he placed a hand on Xander’s chest.

Xander felt a burning within his very being. As if the inside of his body was set a blaze.

“One day I will call upon you and you will answer.” he told him with his hand still on the teen’s chest, “Till then I’ll be watching you. Forget about friends. Forget about family. Forget about love. You’re mine Alexander Harris.”

The stranger patted his shoulder and Xander fell to his knees, the burning was gone and was alone again in the warehouse.

Now Xander knew who he had made the deal with for his soul. It was the Devil and now he owned Xander and no power in the world would save him. But deep down he still held on to one thing that he knew the Devil would never take from him. Hope.